Gov. Scott visits The Villages to hear seniors' concerns

Florida Gov. Rick Scott visits Sumter Place, an assisted living facility, to talk with people about their concerns regarding the Affordable Care Act in The Villages on Wednesday.

Brett Le Blanc/Daily Commercial

By Theresa CampbellHalifax Media Group

Published: Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at 6:00 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at 6:00 p.m.

THE VILLAGES - Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday had a yellow legal pad in hand for note taking as he listened to 16 seniors talk about Medicare Advantage cuts, rising prescription costs and concerns about losing their doctors during a roundtable discussion in The Villages.

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“I just want to hear your stories,” Scott said, adding that he specifically wanted to hear their concerns regarding Medicare Advantage and Medicare cuts, which the governor said was a result of the Affordable Care Act.

Scott made eye contact with each person, including Carline Krause as she told him about how she and others at Sumter Place in The Villages were surprised by rising co-pays and other changes.

“We don’t have the confidence that we used to have,” Krause said. “Having to change doctors is probably the worst.”

“As a result of that, we have a lack of confidence and a feeling of uncertainty of the future of what’s going to happen,” Hanfeldt said, noting that 84 percent of the hospital system’s patients are Medicare eligible.

“So when they cut Medicare 2 percent, that’s a big bite,” Hanfeldt said. “And, as a nonprofit, we need to survive. You need to know that we are very much affected by the changes.”

Scott encouraged members of the crowd to write to President Obama to express their concerns about Medicare cuts.

“Your heart goes out to these people because they have worked hard all of their lives to pay into the Medicare program, and they’re beginning to see these changes,” Scott said after the meeting. “And a lot of people are on fixed incomes.”

Scott also had a similar meeting earlier in the day in Miami. He said one woman from that session has been affected by Medicare cuts and changes, and stood out in his mind.

“She’s worried about her losing her house,” he said.

Scott said other South Florida seniors told him the rising cost of prescriptions is affecting their ability to put food on the table.

Scott said that from the lower-income seniors he met in Miami to the more affluent residents of The Villages, he is hearing from people throughout the Sunshine State who are concerned about not being able to go to providers in their Medicare Advantage plans, which has a limited network of providers, while traditional Medicare has no networks so participants can go to any eligible provider – if they can find one.

Villager Joan Cady was among the residents who spoke to the governor.

“We all have the same problems and it’s all coming down to that it’s (Medicare) is not what we had last year. It’s changed, and it has changed a lot. Every time we go (to a doctor or pharmacy) there is yet another change,” Cady said. “It’s making it hard.”

She did say she was touched that the governor took time to listen.

“How often would a governor from any state come and talk to anybody? This is absolutely wonderful,” Cady said. “And the fact that we were already his second stop after being in Miami earlier doing the same thing is all the better. He is getting two vastly different perspectives, and yet we all share the same problems.”

<p>THE VILLAGES - Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday had a yellow legal pad in hand for note taking as he listened to 16 seniors talk about Medicare Advantage cuts, rising prescription costs and concerns about losing their doctors during a roundtable discussion in The Villages.</p><p>“I just want to hear your stories,” Scott said, adding that he specifically wanted to hear their concerns regarding Medicare Advantage and Medicare cuts, which the governor said was a result of the Affordable Care Act.</p><p>Scott made eye contact with each person, including Carline Krause as she told him about how she and others at Sumter Place in The Villages were surprised by rising co-pays and other changes.</p><p>“We don't have the confidence that we used to have,” Krause said. “Having to change doctors is probably the worst.”</p><p>Don Hanfeldt, chairman of the Central Florida Health Alliance, which oversees The Villages Regional Hospital and Leesburg Regional Medical Center, lamented how Medicare cuts and reimbursement funding affects that health system.</p><p>“As a result of that, we have a lack of confidence and a feeling of uncertainty of the future of what's going to happen,” Hanfeldt said, noting that 84 percent of the hospital system's patients are Medicare eligible.</p><p>“So when they cut Medicare 2 percent, that's a big bite,” Hanfeldt said. “And, as a nonprofit, we need to survive. You need to know that we are very much affected by the changes.”</p><p>Scott encouraged members of the crowd to write to President Obama to express their concerns about Medicare cuts.</p><p>“Your heart goes out to these people because they have worked hard all of their lives to pay into the Medicare program, and they're beginning to see these changes,” Scott said after the meeting. “And a lot of people are on fixed incomes.”</p><p>Scott also had a similar meeting earlier in the day in Miami. He said one woman from that session has been affected by Medicare cuts and changes, and stood out in his mind.</p><p>“She's worried about her losing her house,” he said.</p><p>Scott said other South Florida seniors told him the rising cost of prescriptions is affecting their ability to put food on the table.</p><p>Scott said that from the lower-income seniors he met in Miami to the more affluent residents of The Villages, he is hearing from people throughout the Sunshine State who are concerned about not being able to go to providers in their Medicare Advantage plans, which has a limited network of providers, while traditional Medicare has no networks so participants can go to any eligible provider – if they can find one.</p><p>Villager Joan Cady was among the residents who spoke to the governor.</p><p>“We all have the same problems and it's all coming down to that it's (Medicare) is not what we had last year. It's changed, and it has changed a lot. Every time we go (to a doctor or pharmacy) there is yet another change,” Cady said. “It's making it hard.”</p><p>She did say she was touched that the governor took time to listen.</p><p>“How often would a governor from any state come and talk to anybody? This is absolutely wonderful,” Cady said. “And the fact that we were already his second stop after being in Miami earlier doing the same thing is all the better. He is getting two vastly different perspectives, and yet we all share the same problems.”</p>